Finland-based AW-Energy’s WaveRoller has secured the approval of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) to deploy the ocean energy pilot project in Namibia.
According to Kaoko Green Energy Solutions, the approval was granted by Namibia’s Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism, which enables WaveRoller, in collaboration with Kaoko Green Energy Solutions’ partners, AW-Energy and Impact Tank Namibia, to move forward with project implementation.
The pilot project will explore the potential of harnessing ocean energy to generate sustainable electricity in Namibia, with plans for scaling the technology across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.
The assessment confirms the project’s compliance with environmental standards, ensuring that the technology can be deployed while safeguarding Namibia’s marine ecosystems. This development also provides increased confidence for investors, signifying the project’s viability in the renewable energy sector, noted Kaoko Green Energy Solutions.
“With this clearance, we are ready to move forward with the pilot deployment of WaveRoller, bringing us one step closer to unlocking the power of ocean waves. This pilot will serve as a blueprint for scaling ocean energy technology across the SADC region, offering clean, predictable, consistent, baseload and reliable renewable energy for generations to come,” said Kaoko Green Energy Solutions in a social media post.
WaveRoller’s pilot will offer a renewable energy solution, aiming to deliver consistent baseload power, marking a step toward harnessing ocean energy in Africa.
In May 2023, AW-Energy signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Kaoko Green Energy Solutions for the deployment of WaveRoller wave energy farms offshore Namibia.
Deployed in October 2019 in Portugal, WaveRoller underwent extended sea trials which served to fine-tune the device’s control system to maximize the performance and yield. The wave energy device completed an environmental monitoring campaign in December 2020 as part of the WESE project off the coast of Portugal.
In August 2021, Finnish wave energy company AW-Energy refloated the first commercially-ready WaveRoller wave energy device after two years of constant operation on the seabed offshore Portugal.
WaveRoller secured €19 million in funding from the EU’s Horizon Europe program in early September to deploy a 2 MW wave energy array off the coast of Portugal. The project is set to start in October 2024 and will run for five and a half years, covering the design, manufacturing, testing, deployment, and operation of the array.